Must See: Amazing Timelapse of a Wooden Lawn Chair From Raw Material to Finished Product

There are only a few things I wish to have at some point in my life. I can get by without the chocolate fountain or the Jello pool, but a fully-stocked wood shop in the woods of the Pacific Northwest is one thing I don’t think I’ll ever drop from my list. Frank Howarth is one man living that dream already, and according to his bio, his “interests are in architecture at a small scale expressed through woodworking and film making.” To our delight, Frank has merged woodworking and film into one of the most satisfying timelapse videos to date. Break out the Visine, refill your cup o’ joe, and sit back for a few minutes as a raw cut of wood becomes a lawn chair.

Frank Makes

Using roughly 12,000 frames (!!) on his Canon 5D Mark III with an EF 16-35mm f/2.8L and EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro lenses for all photography, Frank essentially documented his entire process as if the chair builds itself:

For those with inquiring minds, the sound for the video was all done in post-production. In terms of design, the chair is made from sequoia consisting of a frame roughly defining a cube. The seat and back sit within the frame and are made of slats hanging on two cylinders running between the sides of the chair frame. Additionally, the back is able to recline (important after making a 12,000 frame stop motion and having a cold one).

Frank went even further to explain his process in an equally-fascinating making-of video, which includes process sketches and his filming techniques:

To see more of Frank’s ‘Frank Makes’ Videos (highly recommended), be sure to check out his YouTube Channel.

Simon is a Brooklyn-based industrial designer and Managing Editor of EVD Media. When he finds the time to design, his focus is on helping startups develop branding and design solutions to realize their product design vision. In addition to his work at Nike and various other clients, he is the main reason anything gets done at EvD Media. He once wrestled an Alaskan alligator buzzard to the ground with his bare hands… to rescue Josh.